Kitchen Assistant

Full Job Description

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Job Title:   Kitchen Assistant
Location:  Penny Tree School, Birmingham, B30 3ES
Hours:        25 per week | Monday to Friday | 9.00am – 2.00pm
Salary:       £14,773.75 per annum (£13.25 per hour, not pro rata)
Contract: Permanent | Term Time Only
Start:          September 2026
UK applicants only – no sponsorship available

About the Role

As a Kitchen Assistant, you will support the Cook/Supervisor in preparing and serving meals, helping to deliver a safe, efficient and high-quality catering service for pupils and staff. You will play a key role in maintaining a clean, well-organised kitchen environment and ensuring all food is prepared in line with current food safety and hygiene standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the preparation, cooking and serving of meals, including meeting special dietary requirements
• Assist with food preparation for both on-site provision and, where needed, other schools
• Maintain high standards of cleanliness across kitchen equipment, kitchen areas and dining spaces
• Ensure compliance with food hygiene, health and safety, and cleanliness standards at all times
• Monitor stock levels and report any shortages or issues promptly
• Accurately record meal numbers, including any changes or additional requirements
• Support the safe, efficient service of meals during lunchtime, including supervising pupils in the dining area
• Report any behaviour concerns to teaching staff in line with school expectations

What You Will Bring

• Experience preparing home-cooked food
• Willingness to undertake further training
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment
• Flexibility to respond calmly to changing demands
• A positive, team-focused approach

About Us

Our new Options Autism school – Penny Tree – will have capacity for up to 100 pupils and is expected to open for students in the near future.

At Penny Tree School, you will be part of a supportive and forward-thinking team at the very start of an exciting journey. Backed by the expertise of Options Autism and Outcomes First Group, you will benefit from access to a wide professional network, ongoing development opportunities, and the chance to make a meaningful difference to the lives of the pupils we serve.

For over 19 years, Options Autism has provided specialist care and education for children, young people, and adults with autism, complex needs, and learning difficulties. As part of Outcomes First Group, we are pioneering innovative, evidence-based approaches that deliver meaningful, measurable outcomes for everyone in our care.

We are really proud to say that in 2025 Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the sixth year running.

Why Join Us?

We place pupils and vulnerable young adults at the heart of everything we do, so every day brings the satisfaction of making a real difference. We are committed to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils and young people. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.

• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme with options to increase contributions
• “Your Wellbeing Matters” – mental health support and physical health checks
• Flexible Benefits Platform (Vista), including:
• Health, wellbeing and insurance benefits
• Hundreds of UK and international discounts
• Cycle to Work Scheme & Electric Car Purchase Scheme
• Critical illness cover
• Family Growth Support, including enhanced maternity/paternity leave and paid fertility treatment support

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Outcomes First Group is committed to carrying out a fair, thorough and efficient recruitment process in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education. Whilst we aim to keep applicants informed throughout, Outcomes First Group does not accept liability for any loss of earnings or other associated costs incurred by applicants as a result of delays or changes in the compliance process. All stages of the compliance process are subject to necessary safeguarding checks and compliance with statutory requirements, which may affect timescales.

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